Corn-planter.



CORN PLANTEB. APPLICATION man Aumzo. 1914. nfnswsn usc. 26. 1917.

1,274,062. Patented July 30, 1918;

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. HOLLAND-LETZ- CORN PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED Auc.20, I9I4. IIEIIEWED DEC. 26, 1911.

1,274,062. I Patend July 30,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ill-lllll'l'llll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HOLLAND-LETZ, OF CROWN POINT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LETZ MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, CROWN POINT, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OFINDIANA.

conn-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Application led August 20, 1914, Serial No. 857,624. Renewed December 26, 19117. Serial No. 208,980.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, lViLLIAM HOLLAND- Ln'rz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Crown Point, in the county of Lake and Stateof Indiana, have invented certain new Y and useful Improvements inV Corn-Planters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention is concerned especially with three-row planters, designed to plant three rows of corn at a time,instead of the cus,- toinary two rows, and is designed to produce a planter of the class 'described in which the various parts of the preferably flexible runner-frame can be raised and lowered, and thus adjusted relative to the corresponding parts of the similar wheel-framefin order that the various runners may be set' to penetrate the ground to the precisedepth desired, and in order that the runner andwheel relatively movable to the relatively fixed pairs of runners and wheels may have the necessary flexibility.

To illustra-te my invention, I annex hereto four sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cornplanter embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line A-A of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a portion of the frame.

My present invention herein claimed is concerned exclusively with the three-row type of corn-planters, such, for instance, as is .shown in the patent to St. Aubin, No.l 914,890, dated March 9, 1909. In order to understand the structure of the complete machine, I will first describe the general structure embodying the features necessitated by the three-row construction, after which I will take up certain features which are ap- Aplicable to corn-planters generally.

Referring more especially to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that I employ the axle 10 having three covering or supporting wheels 11, 12 and 13, secured thereon at the ends and center, respectively. Mounted on this axle 10, by means of suitable journal bearings 14 provided for that purpose, are four horizontal bars 15, 16, 17 and 18, which make up the longitudinal members of the main frame, the transverse member being formed by the bars 19 and 20, which are secured :to the rear ends of the bars 15 and 16,

and 17 and 18, respectively, the bars 19 and 20 being pivoted together at 21vby any desired form of joint which permits a relative swingingmovement on ahorizontal axis. The bars 15 and 16, and 17 and 18 are also connected by horizontal rods 22 and 23. The ruimer frame has as its basis the square tubes 24 and 25, which are pivotally conn nected by suitable joints at 26 with the similar bars 27 and 28, which make up the righthand end of the runner frame, as seen from the position of Fig. 1, and these longitudinal bars 24 and 27, and 25 and 28are connected at the four places in alinementwith the horizontal bars 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the main frame by four three-armed cross pieces or castings 29, 30, 31 and 82, the forward ends of thebars 15, 16, 17 and 18 being pivotally connected to these castings 29, `30, 81-and 82, respectively, by the pivot bolts 33. In order to adjust the relative heights of the runner frame and the main frame at each point of connection, if necessary, the vertical arms of the three-armed castings are provided with a plurality of Y apertures 34, into any one of which the pivot bolt 33 may be inserted. The runner frame Vhas Asecured thereon, opposite the cover made up of two parts 41 and 42, connected at their' inner ends by a universal joint 43, is journaled in suitable bearings supported from the seed boxes, and an operating or trip shaft, made up .of the parts 44 and 45, connected by a universal joint 46, is journaled in suitable bearings supported from the tubes or beams 25 and 28. The two part-s of the axle V10 are connected by a universal joint 47 5 and the scraperirock-shaft 48, journaled in bearings 49 secured on the horizontal bars 15, 16, 17 and'18,has its two parts connected by a universal joint 50, the scrapers 51 secured on saidshaft adjacent the cover wheels 11, 12 and 13 being swung into engagement with the peripheries of said wheels when the shaft is rocked by pressing on the foot lever 52 pivoted on the` axle 10 and connected by a link 53 with a'downwardly extending arm 54 connected to the rock shaft` 48. All of the joints 21 and 26 in the framework, and the joints 50, 47, 113 and 46 in the four shafts are in alinement, as seen, and are located benecessary to accommodate the'planter to inequalities of the surface of the field bein@ planted. -f

The framework and connections tlius far described make up the lower level, so to speak,. of the machine,l and the upper level or superstructure isformed as follows:

A pair of horizontal seat-frame -bars 55 are supported at their rear ends by brace bars 56 secured thereto at their upper ends, and secured at their lower ends to theftransverse bar 19 of the main frame. The seat 57 is preferably secured at the lrear end of these bars 55, so that the weight of the driver is eiiicient in counterbalancing the runner frame in the adjustments hereinafter described. These seat-fraine bars. 55 are supported near their center by acornpensating yoke 58, which `isvtied to the bars 55y by a pair of straps 59 `(see Fig. 3) riveted at their ends to said bars and to the yoke and formed with loops 60, which serve as bearings for the U-shaped rock-shaft 61 to be further described. The ends of the compensating yoke 58 are turned down as shown, and provided with the loops 62, which embrace the rods 22 and`28, respectively. Antifriction rollers 63 are journaled in the loops and run on the rods 22 and 28, so that the compensatingyoke may shift on the rods, asfnecessitatedL by their relative movements due to the swinging of 'one half of the frame relative to the other. The forward ends of the seat-frame bars are turned down, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, and are pivoted by bolts 64e to points near the'centers Of the pair of tongue-supporting bars 65, which are rigidly secured by connecting straps 66 and 67 to the yokes 68 and 69 which span the center of the runner-frame and are somewhat loosely bolted at their ends to the portions 24 and 27, andf25 and 28, respectively, of said frame. The tongue 70'is pivotally mounted between the forward ends of the supporting bars 65 by a bolt 71,l and the rear'end of the tongue preferably has a vertical slot 72 therein, so that a suitable adjust* ing bolt 73 'passed therethrough may have the nuts 7 4 thereon tightened on the end of the'tongue to adjust the height of the forward end thereof relative to the framework. A` detent segment 75 is secured to lone yof the seat-supporting bars 55, so thatf the U-shaped rock-shaft 61 is at the center of the segment, and a lifting lever 76 is pivoted on said rockshaft. and provided with the customary springfpressed plunger 77 controlled by a handle 78, to coperate with a kseries of notches 79 in the forward portion of the segment, or with a single notch 80 iii-the rear portion thereof. The rock shaft 61 has arms 81 extending forwardly. therefrom, and links 82 pivoted on said arms connect the rock shaft with the rear end of the tongue-supporting bars 65. In order to properly adjust the position of the handle 76 relative to the rock shaft 61, and thus regulate the height at which the runners are lifted, one ofthe arms S1 has pivoted thereto a bar or link 8 3, whichfhas a plurality of apertures 84 therein, through any one of which a bolt 85 may be passed. This bolt .S5 also passes through an aperture'in the handle 76, so that the angle ofthe arms `81 to the handle 76 lmay be adjusted as desired.

With the construction described, it will be obvious that the position of the runners V38, 39 and 40 relative to the ground maybe regulated. 1n the vertical vposition of the handle shown in Fig. 2, the runners rest juston the surface of the ground, and if it is desired to lift the runners `entirely olfv of the ground, as is desirable for purposes of transportation, the handle 7G is swungV back until the detent 77 engages the notch 80, to reach which position the links 82 must be lifted, and as they are lifted, the main frame rocks on the axle 10 so as to tilt the scat down, and the forward end of the main frame up. The runner franieis'tfhus lifted, and also swings relative tothe main vframe about the pivots 33 and 64. llfvhen the runners are to be lowered i-ntothe ground, the lever is swung forward, and if'it is swung past the central position shown, the main frame is rocked about the axle v10 in the opposite direction, so that:the=seat is raised and the forward end of the main frame is lowered, carrying` down the pivotal points 33 and 64, about which the runner. frame swings sufficiently to :keep it in its substantially vertical position while said frame is at the same timev lowered to force the runners into the ground.

lt will of course be understoodthat the mechanism thus far described is'desgned purely for a three-row planter, and is not applicable to the two-row planter. "An eX- tension of the same idea would be aV fours row planter, with a fourth cover wheel, seed box and runner located tothe left of the.

seed shaft Al1, as by the sprocket wheel secured on the axle and connected'byfthe sprocket chain 125 witht'he sprocket wheel 126 on the lhub of the cup 127 of the customary clutch mechanism by-w-hichA the shaft 41 is intermittent-ly rotated, the engagement of the clutch being effected by the check row wire buttons engagingthe forks 123 on the end of the trip shaft 44, which has the customary trip pawl 128 cooperating with the clutch mechanism in the customary manner.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I' do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as Vmay be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is:

1. In a three-row corn-planter, the combination with an axle, of three covering wheels secured thereto at its ends and center, a runner-frame having three seed-boxes kin front of the covering wheels, a main frame journaled on the axle and pivotally connec'ted'to the runner-frame, a seedshaft journaled in the runner-frame, connect-ions for driving the seed-shaft from the axle, a paralleltrip shaft also journaled in the frame, connections from the trip shaft to the seed-shaft for controlling the operation of the latter, universal joints in the axle andthe tvvo shafts in alinement with each other and'near the middle thereof, and joints in the main frame and the runner frame in alinement with the universal joints. A

Q. In a. three-row corn-planter, the combination with an axle, of three covering wheels secured thereon at its ends and center, a runner-frame having three seed-boxes in front of the covering wheels, a main frame journaled on the axle and Vpivotally connected to the runner-frame, a seed-shaft journaled in the runner-frame, connections for driving the seed-shaft from the axle, a parallel trip shaft also journaled in the frame, connections from the trip V4shaft to the seed-shaft for controlling theoperation of the latter, a scraperV shaft journaled in the main frame parallel to the axle and adjacent the peripheries of lthe wheels, Scrapers adapted to coperate with" said wheels, universal joints in the axle and the three shafts in alinement with each other and near the middle thereof, and 'joints in the main frame and the runner-frame in alinement with the universal joints.

3. In a three-row corn-planter, the combination with an axle, 'of three covering wheels secured thereon at its ends and center, a runner-frame having three seed-boxes in front of the covering wheels, a main frame journaled on the axle and pivotally connected to the runner-frame, a seed-shaft journaled in the runner-frame, connections for driving lthe seed-shaft from the axle, a parallel trip shaft also journaled in the frame, connections from the trip shaft to the seed-shaft for controlling the operation of the latter, universal joints in the axles` and the two shafts in alinement with each other and near the middle thereof, joints in the main frame and the runner-frame in alinement with the universal joints, runners carried bythe 1'unnerfraine in alinement with and in advance of the covering wheels, and means for tilting the runner-frame rela'- tive to the main frame to control the position of the runners relative to the surface of the ground.

4. In a three-row corn-planter, the combination with an axle, of three covering wheels mounted on the ends andV at the "center thereof, a main frame pivoted on the axle, a runner-frame pivoted on the forward end of the main frame Vhaving three seed-boxes and three runners in alinement with the covering Wheels', joints in the axles and frames in alinement with each other and near the'center of the machine, a compensating yoke mounted on the main frame' and spanning theV joint, compensating,l yokes mounted on the runner-frame and spanning the" joints, a tongue-frame' secured to the runner-frame yokes,v a seat-frame secured to the main-frame yokerand pivotally connected to the tongue-frame, and means for tilting the rmain frame on the axle and the runner-framel on itsjoint with the main frame to raise and lower the runners.

5. In a three-row corn-planter, the com` bination with an axle, of three covering Wheels mounted on the ends and at the center thereof, a main frame pivoted on 'the axle. a runner-frame pivotedjon the forward end of the main frame having three seed-boxes and' threeV runners in alinement with the covering wheels, joints in the axle and `frames in alinement with each other and near the center of the machine, a com pensating yoke mounted on the main-frame and spanning the joint, compensating yokes mounted on the runner-frame and spanning the joints; a tongue-frame secured to the runner-'frame yokes, a seat-frame secured to the main-framel yoke and pivotally con-l neet-'ed' to the tongue-frame, a hand `lever pivoted on fthese'at-frame, a detent'segment with which it'coperates, and a rlink connecting .the tongue-frame with the hand lever so that as the latter is swung the runner-frame will tilt on its pivotal joint with the main frame, and the tongue-frame about jitsjconnection with the seat-frame.

`6. In a threeerow corn-planter, the combination withY an axle, of three covering wheels mounted on the ends and at the center thereof, a main frame pivoted on the axle, a runner-frame pivoted on the forward end of the main frame having three seed-boxes and three runners in alinement with the covering wheels, joints in the axle and frames in alinement with each other and near the center of the machine, a com- .pensating yoke mounted, on vthemain .fname and .spanning the. jloint, compensating yokes mounted `on the runner-,frame and .spanning r the. joints, a tongue-,frame seeuredvto,,the

.runner-frame -y'okes a .seatframe seoured to the main-frame. yoke. and vpivotallyeonneoted to the .tongue-iframe, a connection from the rear. of the main frame to lthe seatframelying parallel to the plane of the Compensating yoke, and means fortilting the mainframe on the .v axle, and, the runnerframe .on its joint with vthe main frameto raiseand lower the runners.

7., In a three-row corn-planter, ,the oombinationryvith` an axle, .of ,three covering Wheels mounted on theends and fatthe center thereof, a.mjain frame pivotedon :the axle, a runner-frame. pivoted ion theforward end of the.maino;frame,having three seedboxes andthree runnersrin alinement` With the covering wheels, joints -in the ,axle and frames lin alinement With. each other, ,and .near the centenof `the machine,- a compensating yoke mounted on. lthe `rmainzframe and ysp aiming 1the` joint, compensating yokes mounted .on the runner-frame and spanning the joints, a tongue-frame..secured to the runner-frame yokes, aseat-frame seeuredfto -the main-frame yoke and pivotallyeonneoted to the tongue-frame, lconnection .from therear ofthe main frametotheseatfframe lying parallel-to the planeof the compensatingV yoke, a hand .lever pivoted on. .the main frame, a detent. segment with Whiohit cooperates, and a.y link Connecting the tongue frame with the hand lever softhat asthe latter is .swung the runner-frametwill tilt .oirits pivotal joint with the main yframe, `andfthe tongue-frame about itsconnectionvvith lthe seat-frame.

, t 8. In a ,three-row Acorn-planter, the .combination 4vvith an axle, .;of :threegcovering Wheels mounted von the lends Aand `at 'the 1center thereof, a, main .frame pivoted A. on the axle, a runner-frame pivotedpn theforvvard end. of themain frame havillgirhreeseedboxes andthree ,runnersinnlinement with the .covering Wheels, joints `in the; axle! ,and frames in alinement. andnear the-.centers thereof, a compensating yoke mountedon the main frame and spanning` thejoint, voompensating yokesr mounted on; fthe ,runner- V.frame and,.spanning its. joints, avztonguevframes.secured to the ruimer-frame yokes, a

.Seatefraniesecured .to the main-.frame yoke tween the forward `end of .the .main frame and the runner-frame, joints in the axle and the v,fijamesin alinementwith each other and near the @enter ofthe machine, acompensating yoke movably mounted at its ends on the main, frame on the ,oppositeasides of the joints, yanda seat-frame.supported on the top ofthe yoke.

10.,.In a three-row planter, the combinationwith an axle, ofthree covering Wheels niountedat itsendsand.center, a main frame pivotally mountedjoirthe., axle, a runnerframe having ,three seed-.boxes .and runners in alinemi?. with thecoverng. Wheels,- pivotal connections, at several points between the forward ,end of the main frame and the rnnnenfranie, j ointsin .the axle and .the frames .inralinemenmWith each other and near Vl`the centen ,of the machine, horizontal rodstinthe two sides ofthe-main frame, a compensating, yoke., movably, mounted at its ends... Long. said horizontal .rods `anti-,friction rollers in-thegends of the compensating yoke which ,embrace the rods, and a. seat-frame supportedon the top, of i the yoke.

Intwitness whereof: Iohave .hereunto set my hand land aiixe'dmy-seal, this: first. day f .August, A.- D. 1914. n

WILLIAM .HOLLAND LETZ.

[Ilo sa] Copies of this patentmayme,obtainedffor vecents esem-,by addressing-,the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. U. 

